The Book of Exodus begins, ve’eileh shemot (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת), “and these are the names” (of the sons of Israel). God call each person by name to make the journey… Indeed, God calls each star by its own name (Gen. 22:17, Psalm 147:4) and yet He also knows each lily of the field and sparrow that flutters its wings (Matt. 6:28-30, 10:29). As Yeshua said, even the hairs on your head are all numbered (Matt. 10:30). In Jewish theology, the term hashgachah pratit (הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית) refers to God’s personal supervision of our lives (hashgachah means “supervision,” and pratit means “individual” or “particular”). Since God is the Master of the Universe, His supervision and providence reaches to the smallest of details of creation – from subatomic particles to the great motions of the cosmos. Of particular interest, however, are those whom He created be’tzelem Elohim: in His image and likeness. The LORD is called אלהֵי הָרוּחת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר / Elohei ha-ruchot lekhol-basar: “The God of the spirits of all flesh” (Num. 16:22), and that means that every spirit ultimately answers to Him.
Category: Hebrew Reading Lesson
Reading Hebrew exercises and practice verses
Ground of our Spiritual Life…
Simply knowing about God is insufficient for a transformed life; something more is needed, namely, receptivity of the heart – a sense of concern, a hunger and a thirst for life, and the willingness to believe in the truth of love. Yeshua taught that the condition of our heart is revealed by how we hear. Without charity and a deep sense of concern, loss will inevitably occur: “Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him” (Luke 8:18). Just as the “good eye” (העין הטובה) that searches for what is good, so the “good ear” listens to the word of hope; and just asthe evil eye (העין הרעה) searches for what is evil, so the “evil ear” attends to the message of loss and despair. As we inwardly receive the truth of Yeshua, more truth is revealed; but if we resist, untruth will take root and grow….
Yeshua often employed parables (משׁלים), or analogical stories, in his teaching because they simultaneously conceal and reveal spiritual truth. A parable obscures the truth to those who don’t really want it, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:9-10; Isa. 6:9-10), and yet it reveals truth to the humble of heart. Since Yeshua’s whole life was a parable of sorts – a “disguise” that led to the victory of our deliverance (Phil. 2:7) – it is not surprising that he regularly used “figures of speech” to provoke people to examine their own heart condition and the quality of their faith… In this connection note that Yeshua never explained the “mysteries of the kingdom of God” directly to the crowds, nor did He ever pander to the crowd’s clamor or interests. God’s word is freely “sown” to all, but it is received only by those who are willing to hear. The message is always directed to the individual willing to follow Him — to the one who has “ears to hear.”
For example, the famous “Parable of the Sower” (Luke 8:4-8) teaches us that God is like a farmer who sows seed upon the “soil” of the human heart, the quality of which may be hard, shallow, choked, or good:
- A “hard heart” (לב קשה) is likened to impenetrable soil that repels the “seed” of the promise of God (ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, Luke 8:11). Because of bitterness, a person can become indifferent and numb inside, and this heart condition enables the devil to snatch the seed of hope from the heart like a ravenous bird (Luke 8:12).
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- A “shallow heart” (לב רדוד) is likened to topsoil that overlays bedrock. At first the soil receives the seed and quickly begins to grow, but since there is no depth of soil, the growth fails to take root and the growth withers for lack of nutrients and moisture. When tested, the shallow heart reveals its lack of commitment and does not persevere (Luke 8:13).
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- A “choked heart” (נחנק לב) is likened to weedy soil that hides other roots that exhibit “thorns,” namely worldly fears, the desire for riches, and the pursuit of comfort or pleasures. Such people are double-minded and their spiritual life becomes obstructed, throttled by busyness, distracted by desires for comfort, security, and worldly vanities. They are full of inner conflict and despair and consequently become stunted in their growth (Luke 8:14).
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. - Finally, a “good heart” (לב טוב) is likened to tilled and receptive soil that receives the seed to yield an abundant harvest: “yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.” Because the righteous honor the seed and nurture its presence, the hidden power of the Life is powerfully released (Luke 8:15). They are also likened to a tree planted by rivers of living water that bring forth fruit in their season (Psalm 1:3). In this connection it is helpful to remember that fruit does not immediately crop up but requires time and its own season… The process of spiritual growth is ultimately mysterious and divine: “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself (αὐτομάτη, “automatically”) the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he comes in with his sickle because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29). With God all things are possible, and the life of God is a miracle that comes from God’s own source of Life. It is the fruit of the Spirit, after all, and not the result of human effort or moral reformation…
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So the “parable of the sower” teaches us that how we hear will determine the quality of the ground of our spiritual life. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see our own hardness, shallowness, and selfishness in contrast to the fruitfulness marked by the good heart, and this should provoke us to seek God for help… Again, only a new heart (לב חדש) created by power of God’s Spirit can possibly yield the fruit of the Spirit (פרי הרוח). “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” (Luke 8:18).
Believers are likened to earthen vessels that hold the treasure of God’s truth, and therefore they are in constant need of God’s grace to persevere. Therefore Yeshua told his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2). Note that it is the healthy branch that will be cut back – not the withered one that will be altogether removed – and this purging process may be painful at times. The heavenly Gardener’s goal is for the fruitful branch to reveal more and more the connection to the heart of the Vine, so that God is glorified (see John 15:8). The end here is the beatific vision: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). The goal of “purging” is fruitfulness and blessing, but the agency is not the will of man but the power of God. You are made “clean” through the word of God spoken within your own heart (John 15:3). This is the acceptance of the Messiah’s life within you. Your sanctification, however, depends on your communion with God, staying connected to what is real, central, vital, the core truth of God’s Presence and love, the ultimate Reality of Life itself.
In light of these things I hope we might better appreciate and understand Yeshua’s admonition: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing” (John 15:3-5). Our connection to Yeshua is intended to bear fruit that glorifies God, but if we refuse to find life in him, we would wither and die (John 15:6). We find sustenance and healing only as we remain connected to the Source and Conduit of life, who is the Messiah, the Savior and LORD. True life grows out a heart connection with Him, and without that connection our lives become vain and yield no eternal significance. Nevertheless we must remain encouraged, friend, since God calls us to Himself. This is “the work of faith.” Look to heavenly reality and not to the vanity and deceits of this world (Col. 3:1-4). Find life in connection with Yeshua, drawing strength and vitality from your relationship with Him. The fruit of the Spirit is produced as we open our hearts and yield ourselves to the love and presence of the Lord. May you grow in grace and be fruitful in God’s love. Amen.
In light of these things I hope we might better appreciate and understand Yeshua’s admonition: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing” (John 15:3-5). Our connection to Yeshua is intended to bear fruit that glorifies God, but if we refuse to find life in him, we would wither and die (John 15:6). We find sustenance and healing only as we remain connected to the Source and Conduit of life, who is the Messiah, the Savior and LORD. True life grows out a heart connection with Him, and without that connection our lives become vain and yield no eternal significance. Nevertheless we must remain encouraged, friend, since God calls us to Himself. This is “the work of faith.” Look to heavenly reality and not to the vanity and deceits of this world (Col. 3:1-4). Find life in connection with Yeshua, drawing strength and vitality from your relationship with Him. The fruit of the Spirit is produced as we open our hearts and yield ourselves to the love and presence of the Lord. May you grow in grace and be fruitful in God’s love. Amen.
Blessing for a New Year…
At the outset of the new civil year, let us recall the ancient priestly blessing, the great expression of hope and grace that transforms us into “name bearers” of God. The blessing of the LORD guards us from illusion, directing our hearts to focus on what matters most; His radiance changes us, revealing the miracle of grace. As God “lifts up his face,” he discloses his Presence within all things, and imparts to us his healing peace. God’s Name is “put upon” us so that we become vessels that carry redemptive love and healing to the world. We are endowed with divine energy to be made fruitful; we are empowered to serve God in the truth. The consciousness of our blessedness touches every moment, and we begin to see all of life as sanctified, sacred, full of wonder and meaning.
Note that the text of this great “priestly blessing” (i.e., birkat kohanim) begins with three words, is comprised of three parts, invokes the divine Name three times, and is therefore quite appropriately called “the three-in-one blessing.” Note further that each of the three phrases begins with the Hebrew letter Yod (י), suggesting the threefold hand of YHVH (יהוה) that touches you: the Father blesses you (יְבָרֶכְךָ); the Word of God shines upon you (יָאֵר), and the Spirit of God lifts you up and carries you in the way of life (יִשָּׂא). The threefold blessing is One, of course, just as Adonai echad: יְהוָה אֶחָד, the LORD is One (Deut. 6:4), and the essence of the blessing is to partake of healing and wholeness as expressed in the Hebrew word shalom (שָׁלוֹם). Amen. Without oseh shalom, without peace made within our hearts, any other blessings are only apparent and without substance…
Wisdom for a New Year…
It is tragic that so many people go about their lives as if God doesn’t exist… Instead of soberly acknowledging that their days are numbered in this world, they subconsciously assume they will live forever, and they steadfastly ignore any idea of judgment to come. Yeshua warned us, however, that “nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light” (Mark 4:22). We should tremble before such words. Each of us will give account for what we have done with the time given us (Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 12:36). Moses therefore prayed to God: “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Each soul is given a finite amount of time in this world, and therefore Moses asked God to teach us how to live in light of our ultimate end… For this we need wisdom, which primarily consists of knowledge of the holy (דַעַת קְדשִׁים) and the experience of the awe of the LORD (יִרְאַת יְהוָה, Prov. 9:10). Note then the connection between learning to “number our days” and apprehending the sacredness of life. As we learn to esteem our days, so we discover wisdom for our sojourn to eternity. Reflecting on the brevity of life awakens us to consciously reflect upon the course of our lives and to distill the ultimate concerns of our hearts.
- Psalm 90:12 Hebrew page (pdf)
Consider, then, the “measure of your days…” Your life in this world will end far sooner than you expect, and then what will become of you? I am not here thinking of the end of “the” world, but rather the end of your world – when you will die and face the light of eternity. Today, this moment, you are on the way, going someplace; your “latter days” are already come upon you… If you are not prepared today, how will you be better prepared tomorrow? Today is the day of salvation, the hour that matters most. Learn to die to the world now, to let go of what presently holds you captive, so that you are free to meet that which forever shall come. Don’t put off genuine teshuvah: turn while there is still time. As Jim Elliot once said: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” And may God give us mercy to say from the heart: “For me to live is Messiah, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
Yet how many of us take all this to heart? How many of us “number our days” that we might attain wisdom? Do we appreciate the brief amount of time we are given in this life? When we are young we believe we will live forever. David prayed, “make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!” (Psalm 39:4).
- Psalm 39:4 Hebrew page (pdf)
Turning to a New Year…
The Book of Lamentations is an acrostic (i.e., alphabetical) poem that begins with the Hebrew letter Aleph (א) in the word “eichah” (אֵיכָה), which also marks the Hebrew name of the book. “How (eichah) lonely sits the city that once was full of people!” (Lam. 1:1). The sages note that this word “how” (i.e., eichah) could also be read as “where are you?” (i.e., ayeka: אַיֶּכָּה), God’s first word spoken to Adam after he broke covenant in the Garden (Gen. 3:9). Note that God’s question is often our own: “Where are you? Where are you, God? Are you here, in the midst of this tedious moment? Do you know my loneliness, my ache for love? Do you understand the troubles of my heart?” And yet how many people have faith that God’s call is one of comfort and restoration? God uses our loneliness (“how lonely…”) to search our hearts, asking each of us, ayeka – “Where are you?” “Why have you turned away from me and chosen a state of exile?” Our haunting sense of God’s absence impels us to seek for him… God awaits our only possible response, “Hashivenu!” — an imperative (urgent appeal) for the grace to repent: “Turn us back to yourself, O LORD, so that we may return to you; renew our days as of old” (Lam. 5:21).
Our response to the questioning love of the LORD is called teshuvah (“turning [shuv] to God”). Teshuvah is an “answer” to a shelah, or a question. God’s love for us is the question, and our teshuvah – our turning of the heart toward Him – is the answer. As Jeremiah confessed in the hour of great trouble: “I called upon thy name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not” (Lam. 3:55-57).
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Humility of the Messiah… (Christmas Message)
Though the world system corrupts the message of the birth of Messiah for the sake of avarice and greed, take a moment to reflect on its ongoing spiritual significance, namely, that God emptied Himself (κένωσις) of His regal glory and power to become your Savior and High Priest, able to fully sympathize with your weakness, frailty, shame, and chronic sinfulness (Heb. 4:15-16; Phil 2:7-8). Almighty God, the Presence of Love, the Heart of Reality, clothed himself in human flesh and bone to become Immanu’el (עִמָּנוּ אֵל) – “God with us” – so that we could be touched by Him, healed by Him, and redeemed by Him… In light of this, it is only fitting we should join the refrain of heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest, and upon earth peace, good will among all people!” (Luke 2:14). Amen! Yeshua is the Eternal Sign and Wonder of the LORD God Almighty…
- Luke 2:14 Hebrew page (pdf)
Consider the majestic humility of God as He chose to enter into this world as “baby Jesus.” Meditate on the glory and sheer paradox of God’s love! “Baby Jesus” is the perfect disguise to hide the truth from the proud eyes of the flesh, though the humble of heart can see… “For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching” (1 Cor. 1:21). For “who comprehends the mind of the LORD, or gives him instruction as his counselor?” Through his great plan to redeem people from the dominion of Satan and his agents in this evil world, God emptied Himself to become clothed in the frailty human flesh, born in a manger as the great Lamb of God, and born to die as the ransom for all who will believe. Ah, what would we do without the gift of God, friends? What hope would we have? Regardless of the exact date of his birth of His birth, let’s thank God that our Moshia (Savior) was willing to be born into this dark world to offer Himself as our sacrificial Redeemer! “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).
- Psalm 8:2a Hebrew page (pdf)
But what to do, then, if you sincerely want to follow the Torah’s calendar in light of entrenched Christian customs? Well, we certainly may commemorate the birth of Messiah during the holiday of Sukkot (or Shavuot, etc.), though we must be careful to show charity and use the “good eye” toward those who may adhere to the traditional date for “Christmas.” Likewise we commemorate the death and resurrection of Messiah during Passover and Firstfruits, respectively, though we do not begrudge those of good faith who honor these great events of salvation during what they call the “Pascha” or even the “Easter” season. Often we are tested in exactly this way, chaverim! We must not miss the “weightier matters” of extending grace to others, as Yeshua clearly taught (Matt. 23:23). As it is written, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5; Col. 2:16).
Friends, we must test the spirits — and that particularly includes our own! How do we treat the “stranger” among us? How do we regard the “weaker brother?” Do we demand that our doctrine be esteemed, or do we allow room for others to seek the Lord and his wisdom? Ask yourself: Does this person (or group) honor Yeshua as God the Son, the Redeemer of Humanity who died for our sins and rose from the dead? If so, then keep your heart warm and soft toward him or her, even if he or she has yet to discover the Jewish roots of their faith. “Strive for peace with everyone” (Heb. 12:14). “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you” (Phil. 3:15). Though we desire unity with one another (John 17:11), we cannot reasonably insist on doctrinal uniformity, especially in light of the frailty of our shared human condition… The truth of God is known in humility and love.
Light in the Darkness…
Surely our great need is to have heart, to find strength, resolution, and steadfast determination to walk boldly during these heartless and depraved days (2 Tim. 3:1-5). We are not without God’s help, of course. Yeshua told us that the Ruach HaKodesh (רוּחַ הַקּדֶשׁ) would be “called alongside” (παράκλητος) to comfort us on the journey. The English verb “comfort” literally means “to give strength” (from com- [“with”] and fortis [“strong”]), an idea similarly expressed by the verb “encourage,” that is, to “put heart [i.e., ‘core’] within the soul.” In Hebrew, the word courage is expressed by the phrase ometz lev (אמֶץ לֵב), meaning “strong of heart,” denoting an inner quality of the will rather than of the intellect. Ometz lev means having an inner resolve, a passion, and a direction. The sages say “the mind is the eye, whereas the heart is the feet.” May God be our Light and Salvation as we walk through the surrounding darkness…
- Psalm 27:1 Hebrew page (pdf)
Fear is the primary tool of the devil and the underlying motive behind sin itself (Rom. 14:23). Beloved, “do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). Always focus on Yeshua, the Light of Torah (האור של תורה) and the true Wisdom of God (חָכְמַת אֱלהִים): “Whoever has My commandments (מִצְוֹתַי) and keeps them, that is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will manifest (lit., “shine within” from ἐν, “in” + φαίνω, “shine”) myself to him” (John 14:21). There it is – the Source of the Light that overcomes all darkness; the Power that is behind the armor of God… Yeshua is the Beginning, the Center, and the End of all true meaning from God. Blessed is His Name forever and ever…
Menachem Mendl once wrote that there are three things fitting for us to do: upright kneeling, motionless dancing, and silent screaming… Not everyone will understand the pain that moves us to seek inner healing, but Gods’ Presence shines for us all…
Honesty and Humility…
An honest person is a humble person, since honesty compels the soul to confess the truth that it is profoundly ignorant, incapable of understanding even the simplest matters of life, and entirely powerless to heal itself… People argue over words, concepts, and abstractions, inflating their opinions above even the Reality they purport to define, but the humble soul acknowledges that he doesn’t really know much about anything… And if “all the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly,” then how is it that people get puffed up and proud regarding their supposed knowledge of God Himself? Far better to approach God in deep reverence, wonder, love, and childlike trust than to profess a theology based on pride and illusions…
This is the Day…
God’s Name is “I-AM-with-you-always,” imanu-El (עִמָּנוּ אֵל) – always in the midst of you, your heart, your Center (Matt. 28:20; Isa. 41:10, Psalm 23:4, etc)…. The LORD is so named because he is never without his own, and we are who we are in relation to his presence in our lives. Yeshua is not simply the Lord of the past or the Lord of the future, but the Lord of this moment, this “here” and this “now.” He is the same yesterday, today, and forever – the breath of life, our sustaining hope, the Shepherd of our souls… Whatever else may come of this day, this is the day that the LORD has made, and we find peace in God’s Presence… Let us look to Him in this hour!
The Word Made Flesh… (podcast)
(Originally published Dec. 20, 2020)
At Sinai we heard the voice of God (קוֹל אֱלהִים) speaking from the midst of the Fire (Deut. 4:33), an event that foreshadowed the great advent of the King and Lawgiver Himself, when the Eternal Word (דְבַר־יְהוָה) became flesh and dwelt with us (Phil. 2:6-7; John 1:1,14). Any theology that regards God as entirely transcendent (i.e., God is beyond any analogy with the finite) will have a problem with divine immanence (i.e., God is inherent and involved within the finite), since the highness, holiness, and perfection of God will make Him seem distant, outside of us, far away, and unknown…
Incarnational theology, on the other hand, manifests the magnificent humility and nearness of God to disclose the divine empathy. Indeed, the LORD became Immanuel (עִמָּנוּ אֵל), “God with us,” to share our mortal condition, to know our pain, and to experience what it means to be wounded by sin, to be abandoned, alienated, forsaken.
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Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 7:14b Hebrew reading:
- Isaiah 7:14b Hebrew page (pdf)